Capacity Systems Software Engineer

Details

OpenAI's Industrial Compute organization plans, delivers, operates, and optimizes the compute infrastructure that powers frontier AI. The Capacity Systems team builds software platforms, data systems, and automation frameworks that connect infrastructure strategy, capacity planning, fleet operations, product demand, provider partnerships, and financial planning.

The role focuses on building platforms and services for Industrial Compute planning, forecasting, optimization, and operational decision-making. The systems connect infrastructure delivery, fleet health, capacity allocation, demand forecasting, deployment readiness, financial planning, and product consumption into a unified system of record. The engineer will work with Capacity Planning, Fleet Operations, Infrastructure Engineering, Product, Finance, Supply Chain, and Strategic Sourcing teams to replace spreadsheet-driven workflows with scalable software systems.

This role is based in San Francisco and follows OpenAI's hybrid work model, with three days per week in the office.

Responsibilities

• Design and build software systems that serve as the system of record for Industrial Compute planning and operations.
• Develop backend services, APIs, workflows, and data platforms supporting capacity forecasting, allocation, deployment readiness, and operational planning.
• Build applications connecting infrastructure delivery, fleet health, capacity utilization, product demand, and financial planning into a shared operational view.
• Build planning and scenario-modeling systems to help leaders understand tradeoffs involving capacity, utilization, cost, reliability, launch timing, and business impact.
• Create workflow automation and decision-support tooling that improves planning accuracy and reduces operational overhead.
• Partner with Capacity Planning, Fleet Operations, Product, Finance, Infrastructure Engineering, Supply Chain, and Strategic Sourcing teams to translate operational workflows into software systems.
• Drive architecture decisions across planning platforms, operational tooling, and internal infrastructure systems.
• Improve data quality, observability, and operational visibility across Industrial Compute programs.
• Build extensible software foundations that scale alongside OpenAI's growing infrastructure footprint.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in software engineering, platform engineering, infrastructure engineering, or related technical disciplines.
• Strong programming experience in Python, Go, Java, TypeScript, or similar languages.
• Experience building distributed systems, backend services, internal platforms, workflow systems, or operational tooling.
• Experience designing APIs, data pipelines, and integrations across multiple systems.
• Strong system design and software architecture skills.
• Experience working with large operational datasets and business-critical workflows.
• Ability to work effectively in highly cross-functional environments and translate ambiguous operational challenges into scalable technical solutions.
• Strong ownership mindset and ability to independently drive complex projects.

Preferred Skills

• Experience building planning systems, forecasting platforms, optimization engines, or decision-support tools.
• Experience with SQL, data warehouses, orchestration frameworks, analytics platforms, and distributed data systems.
• Experience supporting infrastructure, cloud platforms, data centers, hardware deployment programs, or large-scale operational environments.
• Familiarity with capacity planning, supply chain systems, financial modeling, or infrastructure operations.
• Experience replacing spreadsheet-driven workflows with scalable software platforms.
• Experience building systems supporting scenario planning, forecasting, optimization, or resource allocation.
• Familiarity with AI infrastructure, hyperscale compute environments, or large-scale distributed systems.

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. OpenAI is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of legally protected characteristics. Background checks are administered in accordance with applicable law. OpenAI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.

Benefits

• Base salary range of $293,000–$385,000 per year, plus equity.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts.
• Pre-tax accounts for health, dependent care, and commuter expenses.
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer match.
• Paid parental, medical, and caregiver leave.
• Paid time off, paid company holidays, and paid sick or safe time as required by law.
• Mental health and wellness support.
• Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage.
• Annual learning and development stipend.
• Daily office meals and eligible meal delivery credits.
• Relocation support for eligible employees.
• Additional benefits may include charitable donation matching and wellness stipends.